Koessler Family Library Media Center Nardin Academy Buffalo, NY

Cyberbullying A new twist to an age-old problem Jill Brown, Library Media Specialist Colleen Zimmerman, Technology Coordinator Fall 2005

What is “cyberbullying”? send mean-spirited messages make cruel and harmful remarks about individuals post unflattering or derogatory photos direct threats or encourage acts of violence sexually harass Using , chat rooms, websites and other forms of electric communication to

Who does this? Individuals with no strong relationships who are immature who are involved with hate groups who have been bullied themselves Cliques

Why do people do this? Continuation of face-to-face bullying Anger Jealousy Peer pressure Fun

Internet fosters such behavior No tangible feedback Sense of being invisible Multiple on-line personas Free speech issues Role-playing games Sense of power No responsible adult in evidence

Impact on victims Cyberbulling is probably more damaging than neighborhood or playground bullying. In 2004 a US study reported that in grades % of students stated they had been bullied, 57% said someone had said something mean, 35% reported actual threats. This is a 24/7 problem and often occurs in the supposed safety and security of the home. There is a social stigma attached to reporting these incidents to an adult - parent or teacher.

We are doing our job. As adults, we need to be aware of what our children and students are doing online. They are potential perpetrators and victims. We are not being nosey.

Why are adults seemingly out of the loop? We aren’t paying attention Know what your children are doing on-line. Keep the computer in a public area of the house. Tell your child that you will periodically look at files on the computer. Search for your child’s name on-line.

False sense of security: Internet filters Children can still get to all sorts of unacceptable sites and these do nothing to block cyberbullying. We don’t understand electronic communications If you don’t understand how , chat rooms, IM (Instant Messaging), blogs, etc. work, find out. Ask your child to show you, take a class, or talk with other parents.

Don’t let your child be a victim Talk about bullying in general. Discuss what personal information is appropriate to tell and what is not. Visit some popular teen sites together. Help them develop realistic expectations for both personal and on-line relationships. Use this survey as a starting point for a discussion of cyberbullying.survey

Stop a Cyberbully from WiredSafety.org Be private - keep passwords, pictures and secrets to yourself. Take five - don’t reply in anger. Stop, block and tell - don’t reply, block the sender, tell someone. Save the evidence - on your computer or print out. Google yourself.

Parent response Determine that cyberbullying is actually going on. Save the evidence. Identify the sender - contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) if necessary. Contact the parents - who may or may not be supportive. Back up your remarks with written evidence. Contact the school. If warranted, contact an attorney. Threats, extortion, sexual harassment should be reported to the police.

Here at Nardin we take character education issues seriously. We try to head off unacceptable behavior through class discussions, instructional materials and role-playing. If it does occur, we want to take immediate action to stop it and have students understand why it is wrong. While most incidences of cyberbullying do not take place at school, this becomes a school issue as behaviors are acted out in the school setting and other students are often aware of what is going on.

All forms of electronic communications have their place in our lives and the lives of our children today. They enhance learning, encourage inclusion and bring us all closer together. But as with any product or technology, there are those who will misuse and abuse them. Let’s be sure our children aren’t among this group.

Websites of Interest  Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use  WiredSafety WiredSafety  Internet Super Heroes Internet Super Heroes

Bibliography Iorio, Nicole. “Mean Messages”. Time for Kids, March 14, (SirS Discoverer) Willard, Nancy. Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats. Personal notes, (used with permission) Willard, Nancy. A Parents’ Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats. Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, (Available at